Big ESP32 + SX127x topic part 2

Hi!

I am playing with the TTGO V1 OLED and I am trying to make GPS work. I ordered an GN-801 from Aliexpress.
I could not find good examples for this particular GPS module because this one has 6 pins ; GND, VCC, TX,RX, PPA and EN.
I connected everything but PPA and EN. I am not sure what to do with these. Here is what I have :
on top:
#define GPS_RX 23
#define GPS_TX 17
HardwareSerial GPSSerial(2);
SETUP:
GPSSerial.begin(9600, SERIAL_8N1, GPS_RX, GPS_TX);
LOOP:
while (GPSSerial.available() > 0)
{
Serial.print(GPSSerial.read());
}

The GPS MODULE:

20228dea-2ef8-43ce-a687-ffe4e05c30dd

It might help you to take a look at post 191 in this topic or search the LABS page for my node example.

I think PPA would be a pulse per second output and the EN pin is internally pulled high, so both can be left disconnected

Issue fond.
esp_deep_sleep_start() - causes spikes in some GPIO - e.g SPI SCK pin, at the same time GPIO14(LoRa RST ) seems to be hi-Z -> spike occures in this pin. The result is reset SX1276.
Temrorary I added pull up 2KOhm and SW reinitialize of SCK as input.

maybe graceful stop of spi before esp_deep_sleep_start() coud be the final solution. Needs to be tested . Sorry No time for it.

2 Likes

Just another disappointing result from these boards.
I have tryed two Heltec. In term of coner range they behaves similar.
Test setup – Transmitter Raspberry pi at home with decent Sx1276 module. –W=125KHz SF=11

  1. Node 1 – Heltec board #2
    – at home two floor difference - packet RSSI -95dbm
  • 100 meter -110…115dbm after 300m problems
  • Best achived distance – 500…700meters. min achived RSSI -123dbm
  1. Node 2 – Heltec board #2 – similar to Node 1
  2. Node 3 – the same good quality module as transmitter at home Arduino atmega2560 SPI
    a. At home RSSI -48…-49dbm
    b. 1km – RSSI -100dbm
    c. 2km at wet wood area - -120…-122dbm
    d. 11.15km – in open agriculture are
    Transmiter was staying the same an test was done at the same time interval. Antenas ware the same groundplane – swapped between nodes.

Used the same GPS module, didn’t connect the PPA and EN at all. It worked.
I’ve used pins 35 and 34 for RX/TX on the TTGO V2.0

The TX of GPS connected to 34
The RX of GPS connected to 35 (I’m not using it currently but you could use it to configure the module over internal messages)

Take care the colors on cables are wrong. Use the text writen on PCB.
Red is GND
Black is VCC and so on

I found this forum on the internet for the TTGO.
Not sure who is the owner of the forum, it says “Lily Go customer service”.

On this forum i found this schematic which seems to match the TTGOv2 board.

T3_V1.1(H110) - TTGOv2 schematics.pdf (321.7 KB)

1 Like

Hi

Have 2 of the TTGO v2 boards

Was hoping someone might be able to point me in the right direction to getting the SD card working in Arduino.

Is it true that it won’t work for writing?

Did you look here and here ?

The schematic proves: The green LED is connected to IO22, which is also used as D1 of the OLED display. Totally useless (?).

After lots of testing is done, i now want to share the Paxcounter project here:

Paxcounter

Feedback welcome!

2 Likes

Now we need a nice responsive front end for this.
Who can build one?

Interesting stuff - thanks for sharing - might be good if you posted this on a separate thread?
The combination of an ESP32 and Lorawan is extremely beguiling and ideal for something like this (power requirements are perhaps the only problem) .
Where do you see your “PAX counter” leading?
Also, thought these would give food for thought

I added legal note in the readme of the repository.

The code stores scanned MAC adresses in RAM only, and keeps it temporary for a configurable scan time (default 240 seconds), then deletes the RAM and starts over. So no kind of tracking or persistent storing of personal data and no other kind of analytics than counting of MACs is implemented.

I am new to arduino, TTN, radios… everything.
I searched this because of a Christmas gift, I think now I am addicted. I need rehab center soon.

I am reading everything from multiple forums, I have listened at least twice to Herr Spiess’s youtube videos related to LoRa and ESP.

I ordered 3 of the Heltec boards and Wemos D1 Mini and Mini Pro and the Hallard cards and RF95 radios. all 915 US. Western Colorado.

Yesterday i dived in and started with the Heltec boards. As has been noted, not much QC. 2 Heltec boards light up and init and display. 1 has cracked OLED when opened. I used the examples listed and got 1 sketch loaded to be LoRa receiver and the board with cracked OLED talks fine. Both send and receive work correctly and can watch via serial monitor in arduino IDE. One board with working OLED says it is fine in serial monitor, but nothing ever gets to receiver node.

i changed receiver node to example from @CurlyWurly, registered it with TTN, and it says it worked. WOW. Changed the sending board to send sketch from @CurlyWurly and serial monitor says "Packet queued
122183690: EV_TXCOMPLETE (includes waiting for RX windows)
", same as other past posts. Serial monitor on single channel GW does not show anything received, nor does OLED on GW. Just says READY and GW serial monitor says connected to wifi and i can connect via browser to GW.

All that to say I’m stumped. I think I have the DEVaddr and keys correct, but do they even need to be correct to get from the send node to the GW node?

I switched this morning to learn about the wemos D1 mini and with a simple water sensor i am getting about 400meters max from my house with stable readings, after that NOTHING. So, i really want to figure out the LoRa radios. I need to transmit 3-5km in mostly open farmland region.
…my wife does not think i should buy spectrum analyzer and oscilloscope. But she says it is OK if I buy Andreas a beer IF i take her to Switzerland also.

so what is your exact question?

4 Likes

I think I have the DEVaddr and keys correct, but do they even need to be correct to get from the send node to the GW node?

The gateway should show all LoRa traffic, even if it is not using LoRaWAN. Even TTN Console will show gateway traffic it cannot decipher.

(In LoRaWAN terminology there is no such thing as a gateway node.)

I’ve just updated the TTGO v2 Case for ESP32 LoRa boards. Use last 3 STL files (v2 at end)
Improvements:

  • Better fit for Antenna
  • Added front with a hole for an extra Boot switch
4 Likes

ordered one of the new version 2 via Treatstock. :grinning:

I followed directions in post 123 from part 1 of this thread. I’m using the Heltec modules.
I loaded the single channel gateway and it TTN says it is connected, last seen refreshes every few minutes. But no data posts to TTN.
The only part not clear is the end of your post that says ‘select your frequency’. I think i’m supposed to use the 915mHz range for USA.
loraModem.h says if in doubt choose the first frequency in the array and comment the others. But they are all 868 range.

What frequency should I use for the single channel?
And where do I set that single channel in the example Send node from the same post 123?

I’m not sure how to debug this as the serial monitor on the ESP-sc-gway node seems to be working and waiting.

Gateway ID: xxxxxxxxxx, Listening at SF7 on 914.900 Mhz.
setupTime:: Time not set (yet)
Time: Tuesday 20:58:54
Gateway configuration saved
WWW Server started on port 80

And the send node says
“Packet queued
122183690: EV_TXCOMPLETE (includes waiting for RX windows)”

Does the send node example default to a different frequency and where would i change that? I need help please.